Fourth Edition in celebration of matariki

6th July 2023 | Kiri te kanawa theatre, Aotea centre, Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland

A two-hour extravaganza of Nine powerful Māori voices who have come together for a very special evening, presenting nine very different stories chosen to inspire, empower and entertain.

HE TOI WHAKAIRO, HE MANA TANGATA.
WITHOUT MĀORI ART, WHO ARE WE?

When we collectivise and weave together the tapestries of our arts, it creates a deeply rich and diverse cultural landscape that reflects our unique experiences, stories and perspectives. So, it begs the question: without Māori art – who are we?

To celebrate Matariki and our one-year M9 anniversary, our kaikōrero will reflect on the resilience their tūpuna required to pursue their respective art forms, how their continued practice in the face of colonisation led to revolutionary change and how integral Māori arts are to our collective survival as a nation today.

Speaker Line-up*

Art Activist

Tame Iti

Tame Iti is a Māori artist, activist, and cultural
leader who has made significant contributions
to the recognition and preservation of Māori
culture, language, and land rights here in
Aotearoa.

Curator and Māori Art Advocate

Nigel Borell

Nigel Borell is of Pirirakau, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, Te Whakatōhea tribaldescent. He is a
curator, writer, Māori arts advocate, educator and
artist specializing in Māori art in both customary and contemporary fields of research.

Kaiwaiata / Kaitito

Maisey rika

Maisey Rika is a notable Māori
singer-songwriter from Aotearoa who has
had significant impact on the recognition and
promotion of te reo and tikanga Māori in
waiata composition.

Toi Matarau / Multi-disciplinary Artist.

mr.g

Mr. G is a Māori contemporary multi-disciplinary artist and designer from Aotearoa. Graham has made a significant impact in the recognition and promotion of Māori culture and art nationally and abroad.

Indigenous Contemporary Artists Specializing in Aute

Nikau Hindin

Nikau has spent the past decade dedicated to
remembering and reinvigorating the practice of
aute in Aotearoa. Her practice is devoted to the
life cycle of the paper mulberry plant, from its
growing to processing the inner bark into a fine
white cloth. Working intimately with plants, Nikau
aligns her practices with the Maramataka.

Māori Designer / Artist

The Hori

Raised in Ōtaki, Hohepa (The HORI) Thomas considered himself a child of Kāpiti. Growing up he
was in a constant battle with identifying his Māoritanga. In his older years he has vowed to be
unapologetically Māori in all that he does.

Tohunga Waka

Hoturoa

Barclay-kerr

Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr is the captain of the
oceangoing waka Haunui, Hinemoana and
Aotearoa One.Hoturoa has been sailing around
the Pacific for more than thirty-five years. Diving deep into the artform of waka, he is one of the few holders of mātauranga whakatere waka here in Aotearoa.

Master Weaver

Veranoa hetet

Weaver Veranoa Hetet grew up in a
family of artists. Toi Maori is part of her
DNA. Veranoas father, Rangi Hetet, is a master
carver. Veranoas great great grandmother Te Rongopamamao, great grandmother Rangimarie, great aunt Diggeress Te Kanawa, and mother
Erenora Puketapu-Hetet were all renowned Maori weavers.

Multidisciplinary Artist

Sian Montgomery-Neutze

Sian Montgomery-Neutze is an incredible force and proponent of Te Ao Māori me ōna tikanga. A moko practitioner and ringatoi based in Porirua, Sian has worked across multiple sectors as a Mātauranga Māori Advisor, Visual Arts Teacher, Resource Developer, Te Reo Translator and Project Coordinator.

*Please note speaker line-up might change at anytime without notice.

KIRI TE KANAWA THEATRE

from 7.30pm 6th july 2023

You'll find the Aotea Centre on Aotea Square, Queen Street. The Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre is inside the main building. The Herald Theatre is to the right of the Centre - you can walk around the side from Aotea Square or take Mayoral Drive.

Find more venue information here.

Parking is available at the Civic carpark: 299 Queen Street, under Aotea Square.

Entry from Greys Ave or Mayoral Drive.